Back-To-School Signals New Tech Gadgets, Reminder to Students to #recycleyourelectronics

Program Makes Recycling Old Electronics Convenient and Safe With Drop-Off Locations Across Ontario

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 19, 2011) -

Editors Note: There are 2 photos and 2 videos accompanying this press release.

As the items on back-to-school shopping lists become increasingly technical, many students are eyeing upgrades for everything from computers and printers to smartphones and dorm room stereos. While adopting the latest technology will help students work faster and more efficiently, their older electronics require responsible disposal.

"Instead of leaving that old printer or monitor at the curb or in the basement collecting dust, families should consider recycling outdated equipment," says Carol Hochu, Executive Director of Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES). "In addition to protecting the environment by diverting waste from landfill, properly recycling electronics helps protect Ontarians from fraud and identity theft by ensuring all sensitive personal data is destroyed as part of the dismantling process."

Recycleyourelectronics.ca, operated by OES, offers Ontarians a convenient, province-wide collection network to take back end-of-life electronics. Parents and students who find themselves with outdated electronics this fall are encouraged to visit the website to learn more about the importance of recycling electronics, access helpful resources and locate an OES-approved recycler in their community.

The following steps will help:

- Check the list. More than 44 different types of e-waste are accepted through recycleyourelectronics.ca.

- Find a location in your community. Recycleyourelectronics.ca includes more than 600 collection locations and many other affiliate sites across Ontario. The postal code and community look up make finding a location simple. There is also time to catch the recycleyourelectronics.ca team as they travel across the province.

- Rest assured. Before dropping off end-of-life electronics, it is important to clear drives and SIM cards of all information. OES-approved collectors and processors adhere to strict guidelines, to ensure electronic waste is managed safely and securely to limit the threat of fraud or identity theft.

All items handled by recycleyourelectronics.ca partners are either re-used or processed for safe recycling. When recycled, the outdated equipment is stripped of valuable commodities such as steel, aluminum, copper, glass and plastic. These commodities are then shredded, smelted or processed as raw materials. Recycled plastics are used to manufacture water pipes, recycled glass is fabricated into new monitors or TVs, and metals can be minted into coins.

Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), a not-for-profit industry organization, oversees the responsible reuse and recycling of waste electronics through a program that includes hundreds of collection sites and numerous other affiliate sites across the province, including municipal, retail, not-for-profit and commercial sites. To date, OES has collected more than 67,000 tonnes of end-of-life electronics – if stacked in tractor-trailer loads parked end-to-end, would stretch all the way from Toronto to Gravenhurst. Every Ontario resident and business is encouraged to safely recycle their electronics free of charge.

The program was developed with Waste Diversion Ontario on behalf of the Ontario government under the Waste Diversion Act. The OES electronic waste recycling program accepts 44 items of electronic waste including computers, televisions, DVD players, hand-held devices and more.

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